UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine blames both sides of conflict for not taking any responsibility of ongoing attacks

A new UN report released Thursday describes the widespread killings that have taken place in Ukraine since January 2014 and highlights the very limited accountability by the conflicting sides (ohchr.org)

The report, which was prepared by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, states that the armed conflict in certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, “fuelled by the inflow of foreign fighters and weapons from the Russian Federation, accounts for the majority of violations of the right to life in Ukraine over the last two years,” claiming up to 2,000 civilian lives. Close to 90 per cent of conflict-related civilian deaths have resulted from indiscriminate shelling of residential areas.

Nobody has taken responsibility for any civilian deaths caused by the conduct of hostilities, the report says, adding that some of the killings may amount to war crimes and/or crimes against humanity.

In general, it concludes, “impunity for killings remains rampant, encouraging their perpetuation and undermining prospects for justice.”